Garment



June 30, 1931. i p, KARBERG 1,812,593

GARMENT Filed April 27. 1929 Patented June 30, 1931 UNITED STATES PETER K. KARZBEBG,

OF DUIBUQUE IOWA, ASSIGNOR T H. B. GLOYER GOMPANY, OF

DUBUQUE, IOWA, A. CORPORATION OF IOWA.

GARMENT Application filed April 2'7,

My invention relates to under garments or garments of like character such as drawers, unlon suits, pajamas, shorts, trunks, track or running pants and similar articles of apparel and contemplates generally improved waist constructions therefor.

The invention has for its principal object the provision of elactic pieces in the waistband of an article of the character de- 1 scribed and the sewing of the body of the garment thereto in such a way that the cloth attached thereto will fold and unfold uniformly with the contractionand extension of the elastic pieces, thus making for com- 5 fort and neatness in appearance,- as well as serviceability.

Other objects and advantages willbe evident from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a View showing the invention as applied to drawers or pants of the usual yp Fig. 2 shows the invention as applied to union suits;

Fig. 3 is a view of the waistband showing the manner in which the elastic pieces are attached thereto; and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the manner in which the waistband is attached to the body ofthe garment.

While the invention is applicable to all types of underwear, pajamas, shorts, trunks and the like, two types have been shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Referring to Fig. 1 the usual type of drawers or pants is shown havin a body composed of members 6 and 7 joined by a seam 8 to form legs 9 and 10 and a waist portion 11. The waist may have the elastics built therein in various ways, that is, with or without a separate waistband. A waistband 12, shown in detail in Fig. 3, is in this particular case attached to the garment at the waist. This band consists of inelastic back and front portions 13 and 16, 17, with elasticweb pieces 14, 15, disposed between and fastened at their ends to said back and front portions. This waistband is superimposed upon the outside of the body portion, at the,.waistline and sewed thereto by its edges. In order to prevent raveling of the 1929. Serial No. 358,475.

urally, in sewing the ends of the portions 5 v 13, 16, and 17 to the ends of the elastics, and

that gives the further advantage of greater strength and durability and avoids any danger of tearing of the material at the stitches joining the elastics to the material, under the pull of the elastics.

The band which is shorter than the waist of the garment is attached thereto by sewing the cloth portions thereof smoothly over the waist portion of the garment as indicated, the excess material of the waist being gathered beneath the elastic members of the waistband. This excess material is sewed to the elastic members in their extended condition, the same being sufiiciently extended to permit this material to be sewed smoothly thereon. More particularly, in attaching the waistband the sewing operation is as follows: A front portion, such as 16, is sewed to the waist by two rows of stitches 19 and 20. When the elastic 14 is reached it will be stretched by the operator approximately to-a predetermined extent and sewed in that condition to the waist by continuing the lines of stitches 19 and 20. It will be seen that when theelastic 14 is permitted to contract the cloth of the body of the garment will be drawn up in a uniformly pleated or tucked fashion, as shown at 21. The back portion 13 will then be sewed by continuing the same lines of stitching; and the elastic 15 will be stretched and sewed in the same manner as the elastic 14, the stitching continuing along the front portion 17, as will be obvious.

Referring to Fig. 2 which shows the invention as applied to a union suit the same principles are involved as have been set forth, the front portions indicated by the same numerals 16 and 17 are connected by elastic pieces under which the excess material at the waistband of the garment is gathered uniformly so as to permit stretching and contraction of the elastic pieces. Y

My improved construction offers a number of decided advantages. Be au e Qf the 1 improved construction a number of economies may be made up separately, as indicated in Fig. 3, and then in a single operation sewed to the garment. Because of the manner in which the elastic pieces are attached, the material in the body portion of the garment, lying under these elastics, need not be removed to permit stretching ofsaid elastics. This manner of attaching the waistband also permits the ends of the elastic pieces 14 and 15 to be interposed between the portions 13, 16, and 17 of the waistband and the cloth of the body of the garment, thereby effectively concealing these ends and preventing ridges or bunches from being formed. Furthermore, in the construction here provided the elastic pieces are shielded from contact with the body by the intervening material of the waist portion. When the elastic pieces are stretched this gathered material unfolds to permit the elongation so that the elastic itself is not caused to slide over or to-pinch or irritate the body.

Referring particularly to the type of garment shown in Fig. 2 it will be seen that the waistband may be attached directly over the customary union suit. The elastic waistband serves to support the lower part of the garment about the hips whereby a certain amount of material isloosely provided above the waist. In this manner the garment, in-

steadof hanging completely from the shoulders, is partially supported at the waist-line and movements of. the arms and shoulders requiring the garment to be lifted upon the body need only lift that portion of the garment lying between the shoulder and the waist line, instead of the garment therebelow as well, since the belt holding the trousers usually causes this movement of the garment to be difiicult.

While I have thus described and illustrated this specific embodiment of my invention I am aware that numerous changes and alterations may be made therein without materially departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited except as required by the prior art.

I claim:

1. In an article of the character described having a waist portion of inelastic fabric, a waistband for said waist portion comprising inelastic fabric back and front portions, and elastic web members superimposed on the outside of the waist portion between said back and front portions arranged to lie at the sides of the waist portion,- the normal length of said waistband being less than the corresponding length of the waist portion, the excess of fabric in the waist portion bein gathered between the ends of each of sai elastic members,longitudinal stitches smoothly connecting the elastic members and the fabric of the waist portion when the former are in their stretched condition, the fabric being drawn up thereby in a gathered manner when the elastic members are in their normal condition, whereby the fabric is caused to fold and unfold with contraction and extension of the elastic members.

2. In a garment having leg portions, 2. waist construction for said garment comprising inelastic waist material reaching completely around the waistline having. gathers in said material at opposite sides of the waist, and elastic web members disposed at opposite sides of the waist spanning the outside of the gathers and having the raw ends thereof tucked under the adjacent material of the waist and sewed in place, the said elastics having the gathers stitched thereto so as to fold and unfold uniformly in the contraction and stretching of the elastics.

3. In a garment having leg portions, a waist construction for said garment comprising inelastic waist material extending completely around the waistline, front and back portions ofinelastic material superimposed upon the waist material so as to make the front and back portions of plural plies, the

vfront and back portions defining gaps therebetween at opposite sides of the waist, the waist material being collected in gathers in said gaps, and elastic web members disposed in said gaps spanning the gathered waist material and having the raw ends thereof tucked between the plies of the front and back portions of the waist and sewed in place, the said elastics having the gathers stitched thereto so as to fold and unfold uniformly in the contraction and stretching of the elastics.

4. In a. garment having leg portions, a waist construction for said garment comprising inelastic waist material extending completely around the waistline, and a waistband assembly comprising inelastic front and back portions, and a pair of elastic web members for the opposite sides of the waistband sewed at their ends to the adjacent ends of the front and back portions to complete the waistband assembly, said waistband assembly being superimposed upon the waist material, with the ends of the elastics concealed beneath the ends of the inelastic portions, by stitching'lengthwise of the edges of the front and back portions whereby to make the front and back portions of the waist twoply, and stitching lengthwise of the elastic web members, while the latter are stretched, whereby to fasten the same to the waist material so that the waist material is disposed in gathers at opposite sides of'the waist when the elastic web members contract to normal condition, the said gathered material being thereby arranged to fold and unfold uniforinly with the contraction and stretching of the elastic members. 5. In a garment having leg portions, a waist construction for said garment comprising inelastic waist material extending completely around the waist line, elastic web members disposed at opposite sides of the waist spanningthe outside of gathers of waist material, the said web members being sewed longitudinally to the waist material so that the gathers are arranged to fold and unfold uniformly in the contraction and stretching of said web members, and an outer l of inelastic material sewed to the Waist material at the front and back of the waist and reaching over the elastic web members agile sides of the waist and sewed thereto a In witness of the foregoing .I aflix my signature.

PETER K. KARBERG. 

